Tweezers



June 1, 1937. T. J. JOHNSON 2,082,062

TWEEZERS Filed June 8, 1935 may INVENTOR J Zeaaare vi e/dawn,

Patented June 1, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2.082.062 TWEEZERS Theodore J. Johnson, Newark, N. J., assignor to Bernard Wigder, Newark, N. J.

Application June 8, 1935, Serial No. 25,541 2 Claims. (CL-1284354) This invention relates, generally, to tweezers or pincers employed for removing splinters,

plucking eyebrows, and for many other uses, and

the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel improved construction of tweezers.

Tweezers as heretofore generally constructed are not entirely satisfactory in use owing to their failure to properly grip the desired object, unless they are operated with just the right finger pressure which is difficult to applyinpracticeand unless the two arms of the tweezers are pressed directly toward each other so. as not to become misaligned, any misalignment. of thearms resulting in the failure of the tweezers to properly grip and hold the object desired. I

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel construction of tweezers having means for insuring the proper gripping andholding of objects regardless of the finger pressure applied to the tweezers.

Another object-of the-present invention lies in the provision of a novel construction of tweezers having means for centering or aligning the tw'eezer arms as they are moved toward each other in use, thereby preventing the misalignment of such arms and the consequent unsatisfactory operation of the tweezers.

Other objects of this inventiorr-not at this time more-particularly enumerated, will be clearly und'er'stoodfrom the following detailed description of the same.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, i'riwhichz- Fig. 1 is an enlarged view of the novel tweezers of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but shows the tweezer arms pressed together as when gripping an object, portions of the tweezer arms being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of one tweezer arm and illustrates the male centering element or boss thereon.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of the other tweezer arm and illustrates the female centering element.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line G-$ of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figs. '7 and 8 are fragmentary views showing the operation of tweezers heretofore used.

Similar characters of reference are employed in said views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the reference numeral I designates the novel tweezers of this invention as a whole. Tweezers I comprise. armszand 3 having resilientportions 4 and 5, respectively, that. are united at the inner end portion of the tweezers as indicated at'6. Theresilient portions 4 andv 5. normally hold the arms 2 and 3 apart somewhat as illustrated in Fig.2.. The .outerfree-end portions ofthe arms -2 and 3 .are formed with cooperating andoppositely-dia posed grip-pingjaws. I and 8. ..When thearms :2 and..3 are-pressed toward eachother, the jaws I and 8 move together into abuttingrelation, the, forward or, toe portions. 9 .and III of these jaws firmly engaging and pressing against one another, as shown in Fig. 3,,s0 that. any object. positioned between; these jaws is firmly held by the tweezers. The arms 2 and 3 are shown as provided with somewhat recessed or concaved knurled portions. II to facilitate the grasping of these arms between the thumb and forefinger in use.

According to the preferred construction, the arms 2 and 3, are, provided with cooperating means. for preventingtheseparation of the toe portions 9 and Ill of the jaws. I and 8' byrockingon their heel portions A and B as the result of excessive finger pressure upon the arms 2 and 3. in use, said cooperating. means also serving .to properly align or center the jaws I and 8 upon each other, and against relative lateral displace: ment, whenever the. arms}. and .3 are pressed together. element I3 provided on the inner surface of the arm 2, the said male element being preferably of substantially frusto-conical shape and cooperating with a conforming female receiving recess I4 provided in a female element I5 formed on the arm 3. The male and female elements I3 and I5 are preferably located midway of the widths of their respective arms 2 and 3, and are positioned lengthwise of these arms in the region of the knurled portions I I as shown in Fig. 3.

The male and female elements I3 and I5 are disposed with respect to one another so that, as the arms 2 and 3 are pressed toward each other, the male element I3 will enter the female element recess I4. This action takes place readily owing to the frusto-conical shape of element I3 and recess I4, the free end of male element I4 bein of lesser diameter than the mouth of recess I4. Continued movement of the arms 2 and 3 toward each other will cause the conically tapered side walls of male element I3 to seat This .means. comprises; a boss. or; male.

upon the similarly tapered walls of recess I4, 55

as shown in Fig. 3, thereby limiting the movement of arms 2 and 3 toward each other.

With male element or boss i3 seated within recess 95, the jaws 'i and 8 are disposed in abutting relation, the greatest pressure between these jaws being exerted over the toe portions 5 and it but so that the same are prevented from rocking on the heel portions A and B as fulcrums, with the consequence that any object confined between these jaws is firmly gripped by the tweezers regardless of how far the object, such as an eyebrow hair, projects into the space between the jaws. Thus, an extremely short hair, reaching no further than the jaw toe portions 9 and it is as firmly gripped by the jaws asa longer hair reaching to the heel portions of these jaws l and 8, and this is true regardless of the pressure with which arms 2 and 3 are pressed together.

When using tweezers as heretofore constructed, the pressure exerted between the jaw toe portions was variable depending upon the pressure with which the arms 2 and 3 (see Fig. 7) were pressed together. A firm pressure upon arms 2 and 3' would cause the arms to pivot on the jaw heel portions A and B so that the toe portions 9 and It actually separated and were incapable of gripping objects as illustrated in Fig. 7.

When using the novel tweezers of this invention, the cooperating male and female elements i3 and i5 definitely limit the movement of the arms 2 and 3 toward each other so that excess finger pressure is transmitted between arms 2 and 3 directly through these elements, thereby preventing any pivotal action of the jaws upon their heel portions, so that the toe portions of the jaws always transmit the larger portion of the jaw pressure, thereby insuring perfect gripping action.

It will be noted that not only do the elements l3 and I5 serve to limit the movement of arms 2 and 3 toward each other, thereby insuring perfect gripping action, but these elements also serve to properly center or align arms 2 and 3 with respect to one another so that the jaws i and 8 always meet squarely upon one another, i. e. in alignment and not offside or misaligned as shown in Fig. 8, which illustrates the action if tweezers heretofore used. Such misalignment is particularly objectionable when using tweezers having jaws with oblique ends it and H as shown in Fig. 8.

Although the tweezers shown in Figures 1 to 6 are illustrated as having square ended jaws, it is to be understood that any style of jaw, such as the oblique ended jaws of Fig. 8, may be used in connection with the tweezers of this invention.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, as defined by the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A pair of tweezers comprising, opposed arms connected together at their inner end portions,

said arms having cooperating jaws at their outer end portions arranged to be engaged by pressing said arms toward each other, said jaws including toe portions and heel portions, and cooperating male and female elements carried respectively by said respective arms for limiting the movement of said arms toward each other to thereby prevent relaxing of the grip of the jaw toe portions by pivoting engagement of the jaw heel portions and for aligning said arms and holding the same against relative lateral and longitudinal shifting in use, said male element comprising a comically tapered boss and said female element comprising a conforming conically tapered recess for snugly receiving said boss.

2. A pair of tweezers comprising opposed arms having resilent inner end portions connected together, the outer end portions of said arms being normally spaced apart .and having cooperating, opposed jaws arranged to be engaged by pressing said arms toward each other, said jaws including toe portions and heel portions, a boss of frustoconical shape provided on the inner surface of one or said arms intermediate the length thereof, the other of said arms having a frusto-conical recess struck therein for conformably and snugly receiving and seating said boss, said other arm being thickened in the region of said recess, said jaws being in fully cooperating and abutting nonshifting relation when said boss is seated in said receiving recess free from tendency to rock on their heel portions as fulcrums with grip relaxing effect upon their toe portions, said boss and recess being located on the respective arms at points spaced from said jaws at less than half the length of said arms.

THEODORE J. JOHNSON. 

